美国国家公共电台 NPR--Sen. Amy Klobuchar calls Texas judge's abortion pill ruling 'shocking'

Sen. Amy Klobuchar calls Texas judge's abortion¹ pill ruling 'shocking'

Transcript²

The future of access to abortion pills is uncertain after two federal judges issued a pair of conflicting rulings on Friday evening. A federal judge in Texas issued a ruling ordering the Food and Drug Administration to suspend its approval of the abortion pill mifepristone nationwide. A federal appeals court is expected to weigh in soon.

Within hours of the ruling by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, another federal judge ruled in a separate case in Washington state. U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice ordered the FDA to preserve access to mifepristone in the case brought by Democratic attorneys general in 17 states and the District of Columbia. The impact of the ruling may become clear later this week.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) called a federal ruling that ordered the Food and Drug Administration to suspend its approval of mifepristone "shocking." She talked to NPR's Leila Fadel.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

What's shocking here is that one judge in Amarillo, Texas, should not be able to decide whether a woman in Montana or Wisconsin or every woman in the country can get the care they need. It's been on the market for more than 20 years after a four year approval process by the FDA, and it's used safely in over 60 countries.This is just another example of extremists trying to take away women's rights to make their own decisions about their health care. We think they should be able to make those decisions not. One judge in Amarillo, Texas, and certainly not politicians. But look, it's been clear that anti-abortion rights groups have been working to make abortion illegal for decades, which culminated³ in the overturning of Roe⁴ v Wade⁵. They've been doing that work through the federal courts, which Senator Mitch McConnell helped to reshape with more conservative judges when he was majority leader.

On what Democratic lawmakers can do to counter the move

First you've got to fight it aggressively in the courts. There's a six year statute⁶ of limitations that covers when you can start appealing these things after they've been decided⁷. This just hasn't been used in a way that he's used it before. Even his own lawyers challenging it noted⁸ that they hadn't seen anything like this before.

On what would happen if the case ended up at the Supreme⁹ Court

No one can predict. I just look at the facts here. I look at the fact that the American Medical Association, which isn't a radical¹⁰ group, they actually said immediately in a very strong statement, there is no evidence that people are harmed by having access to this safe and effective medication. We have got decades of proof to support that statement. There is a reason why judges don't usually enter these kinds of orders. Doctors and scientists make these decisions, not judges.

On the Democratic strategy in Congress when it comes to access to abortion

We just have put together that bill [The Women's Health Protection Act, which would codify¹¹ abortion access]. After we did in the last Congress, the House under Democrats¹² had voted for the bill before. So we'll keep pushing it. We also can push other votes on this, including the availability of this abortion drug. We have to be aggressive. But the people of this country have to be aggressive. Once again, we call on the people of this country to come out and say what they think, that this is an outrageous¹³ decision and that this judge in Amarillo, Texas, simply making decisions for the women of this country and it ultimately ends up in the election.

1 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 culminated   

v.达到极点( culminate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• a gun battle which culminated in the death of two police officers 一场造成两名警察死亡的枪战
• The gala culminated in a firework display. 晚会以大放烟火告终。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 roe   

n.鱼卵；獐鹿

参考例句：

• We will serve smoked cod's roe at the dinner.宴会上我们将上一道熏鳕鱼子。
• I'll scramble some eggs with roe?我用鱼籽炒几个鸡蛋好吗？

5 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

6 statute   

n.成文法，法令，法规；章程，规则，条例

参考例句：

• Protection for the consumer is laid down by statute.保障消费者利益已在法令里作了规定。
• The next section will consider this environmental statute in detail.下一部分将详细论述环境法令的问题。

7 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

10 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

11 codify   

v.将法律、法规等编成法典

参考例句：

• The noble,Dracon,was asked to codify the laws.贵族德拉古被选为立法者。
• The new government promised to codify the laws.新政府应允要编纂法典。

12 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 outrageous   

adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的

参考例句：

• Her outrageous behaviour at the party offended everyone.她在聚会上的无礼行为触怒了每一个人。
• Charges for local telephone calls are particularly outrageous.本地电话资费贵得出奇。